What's One Year
by Just An Old Storyteller
Summary: CS 3B reunion fic. No one over said true love and happy endings were easy, and no one knows that better than Killian Jones. When he finds Emma after a year of searching, things are far from easy, but nothing easy is worth truly fighting for anyway.


**My extremely late Captain Swan Secret Santa gift to the amazing lady-silverblood.  
It took me forever because inspiration was fleeting, and I'm still not completely happy with it but it's not bad, certainly not the worst thing I've written but not when of the best either.  
I incorporated a few spoiled parts of 3B, but kept most of what my initial thought of what it possibly could be.  
Also this is completely unbetad so forgive the possibly numerous mistakes, one can only edit their own work so much. :)  
Now without further ado, here you are-**

* * *

Tensions had been high since their return to their homeland, and the appearance of the Wicked Witch (or 'that green bitch' as Regina so eloquently referred to her as) had only served to make matters worse. It had become painfully clear that they needed more magical power than they had in Regina and the fairies, without Rumplestiltskin they could barely defend against the witch's attacks, let alone retaliate. They needed more magic, they needed Emma. But Emma was gone, and they could not return, but that didn't mean that Killian wouldn't try his damnedest. Emma deserved for someone to at least try.

He had left on his quest nigh a year ago, and he remembered the moment clearly, angrily saddling his horse as they had all looked on with utter bafflement at his apparent madness. He had gathered rations, gear, and as many maps as he could find, as well as his brother's sextant, stuffing them all various satchels to bring with him on his journey. However his obvious determination had not discouraged their attempts to stop him.

"There's nothing we can do, Hook!" It was not the first time Neal had tried to dissuade him as he prepared his departure, and he had finally had enough.

"I have to try!" He was fuming now, his voice rising high enough to earn the attention of anyone near the stables.

"She's happy now! Why can't you just leave her be?!" Neal argued once again. The thought of Emma and her son living with happy memories made him pause only briefly. True she must be happy, but she had no knowledge of her parents, of any of them, she did not know how loved she truly was and she deserved to. She would have wanted them to find her if they could, and so he would.

"You may be willing to abandon her again, but I am not!" He snarled, his voice cracking with desperation. He turned around sharply, breathing hard. _A man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets_. The words were on his tongue, but he choked on them. He could not tell the boy the words that had cost him his mother. He tightened the straps of the saddle, avoiding looking at any of them as he did so.

"We can't go back!." Neal shouted at him, enunciating each word as if the pirate were daft. Killian bared his teeth in response.

"I will find a way." He all but hissed at Neal, the man who claimed to love her so much yet was willing to stand idly by while she and hisson were trapped in another world. Rage simmered beneath his skin, threatening to burst forth if he did not focus on something else. He swung gracefully onto the saddle, grabbed the reigns and turned the horse away from the other man, faltering only slightly when he saw David and Snow barring his path. "Pardon me, your majesties, but I'm in a tad bit of a hurry if you hadn't noticed."

"Jones," The prince began, and he stopped, the surprise at hearing his name freezing him for a moment. His eyes snapped to David's, and the prince nodded at him, the expression on his face near unreadable. "Find her, please."

"I will." He swore fervently. "I will always find her." He did not bother to think about the odd expression that came over David's face, instead he turned sharply and urged his steed forward. He rode like hell, urging his steed to move faster and faster until they were all but flying over the ground. He would keep his word, he would find Emma or he would die trying.

And now, after a year of scouring the Enchanted Forest and beyond for a way back to Emma, he had found it. It had taken the sacrifice of his beloved ship to build another enchanted wardrobe, but it had been worth it. The aching numbness that had gripped at him since their parting was ebbing away at the thought of seeing her again, of holding her in his arms and never letting her go, of telling her how much he loved her, how parting from her had been like tearing himself in two. Oh how he yearned for her. He had counted every minute of every day, and now after what felt like forever, he would finally be reunited with his Swan.

However, finally finding her in the baffling land without magic had been far from easy, seeing her again had been worth all the pain he had ever endured, even if she could not remember him. The damage she had done to his manhood was nothing compared to the damage she had done to his heart, and though he was not her true love, she was surely his, and he would reunite her with her family and bring her home no matter what it cost him. Though admittedly the strange dungeon he now found himself in after yet another failed attempt to make her remember was starting to rattle his steadfast hope.

There was a clang and creak as the barred door of his cell was suddenly swung open, revealing one of the strange guards of the realm.

"It must be your lucky day, Shakespeare. The charges have been dropped, you're free to go." A short, gruff looking woman announced as she freed him. He shot to his feet, wary of her sincerity as he made his way out much to her exasperation. When he was safely outside his steely prison, he bowed mockingly low.

"Thank you for freeing me, milady. Now if you would be so kind as to escort me out of this dreadful establishment, I would be most grateful." He smirked, only earning him an irritated huff and a unnecessarily tight grip on his arm as she hauled him through the strange white halls.

She shoved him roughly into what appeared to be the waiting area, where they returned his coat and his fake hand. He glared at the balding man who had taken them the night before and returned them now, feeling somewhat victorious when the man shuffled uncomfortably as he clicked his prosthetic back in place.

"As lovely as the stay was, my dear new friends. I'll be going now." He bit out as he bowed mockingly once again at his captors before turning to exit the accursed building, wishing that he could simply destroy it and its vile excuse for food and care.

He blinked rapidly as the harsh rays of day blinded him for a moment, the bright unnatural lights of his cell nothing compared to the sun. When his vision finally steadied he looked around, hoping to find some form of bearings when his eyes landed on the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, a wide smile spreading across his face. He quickly made his way down the stairs, stopping a few feet away.

"Swan…" He breathed with disbelief, much like he had at her door the other morning. She fidgeted uncomfortably under his adoring gaze, shuffling lightly and looking everywhere but at him. He didn't push, saying nothing and staying still while he waited for her to speak.

"Look," She began, demanding his attention with her tone, and for a moment he saw the real Emma staring sternly at him. "I don't know who you are or what the hell you're trying to get at with this whole memory curse crap, but there's some stupid part of me that trusts you. God knows why but it does. So I'm giving you one more chance to convince me that you're not crazy and I shouldn't have the cops drag you to some leatherless padded cell." She snapped, her posture closed off and defensive. The walls he had worked so hard to scale sending him back down to the bottom of her trust.

"I know this is hard for you to believe, but I know you Emma, whether you think I do or not, and I know you don't trust me. I'm not asking you to. All I'm asking is for you to take a leap of faith." He saw the doubt flicker in her eyes before she looked away. In a quick movement she shoved her hand into her pocket, pulled out the glowing vial, and forced the memory potion into his outstretched hand. She had kept it at least, but feeling the light weight in his hand once again only added to his desperation.

"I'm sorry, I'm not who you think I am. And I can't take this. You're crazy, and this is probably some weird drug or poison. I can't take that chance." Her voice wavered, but her eyes were hard with conviction. No, no, no. It was the beanstalk all over again.

"Wait please, Emma." He stepped forward, leaving only a foot of space between them. She didn't move back at his advance, her stubborn will still very much present despite the influence of the curse. "Look at me. Have I ever told you a lie?" He thinks he sees a hint of recognition before her wall shoots back up. "I would never poison you, even if I wanted to I bloody well wouldn't do it here. I know you can tell when someone's lying to you." At that she looked back at him, her surprise at his knowledge of her special talent evident. "Look into my eyes and tell me I'm not telling you the truth, and I'll go." He pleaded, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't simply deny the truth to rid herself of him. She looked at him appraisingly.

"So all I have to do is drink from your suspicious bottle and you'll leave me alone." She asked with a skeptical quirked brow. If she could actually see the magical glow coming from the potion it would make the whole situation much easier, but alas she stubbornly clung to her lack of belief.

"I swear on my honor that I will never bother you again if the potion fails. It will be like I was never here in the first place." Her eyes searched him for a moment, judging his sincerity before she came to her decision.

"Deal, bottoms up." She declared, unable to hide her apprehension or the nervous shaking of her hand as she tipped the potion back and downed half of the glimmering liquid.

For the longest moment nothing happened, and then suddenly she stumbled back, nearly dropping the bottle in her hand as she struggled to regain her balance. He grabbed her arm, concern and fear flooding him. Gods above he hadn't even asked the witch what was in the potion, what it would do when it was ingested. Panic began to set in, if she died here in his arms he would break, throw himself before another blasted metal carriage and hope it sent him to join her. Quite suddenly she gasped and straightened, her eyes fluttering open and meeting his and he let out a shuddering breath of relief.

"Hook?" She whispered in awe as she looked at him with wide eyes. His breath caught in his throat and tears stung his eyes. She was back, his Swan was back.

"Emma." Was all he could say in response, swallowing hard as he resisted the urge to pull her to him and kiss her, hold her, anything.

"You found me…" She said in wonder, staring at him in such a way that it nearly broke his heart. He smiled softly.

"Does that surprise you?" He breathed back. She gave him a teary smile before shaking her head and before he could react she had thrown her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. He held her tightly, breathing her in, cradling her against him as he reveled in the feel of having her close after so long of simply dreaming of such an embrace.

"How did you even get here?" She asked after they finally pulled apart.

"It's a long story, one much better told in private." He answered, eyes darting from side to side, bringing them back to their public surroundings.

"Right, magic and all."

"Yes indeed, we should return to your home. Henry still needs his dose before we can make ready to return home."

"Right, home.." She trailed off, a distressed expression taking over her face and he was suddenly realized that she now remembered that this past year and all her memories with Henry had been a lie.

"Lass, I'm sorry." He began, heart aching at the pain she must be feeling. If only he could simply soothe the hurt away.

"It's fine, lets just get Henry and go home." She said dismissively, and he could not find it in himself to argue with her.

"As you wish." He told her gently before he followed her through the crowded walkways of the city.

* * *

Convincing Henry of his lost memories was unsurprisingly far easier than it had been with his mother, and in no time they were ready to depart.

"So how do we get back anyway?" Emma asked from her place across from him at her small table.

"Are we going to sail back on your ship like we did from Neverland?" Henry inquired with barely concealed excitement. His face fell and he shook his head, looking away.

"Not this time lad, the _Jolly_'s a bit out of commission at the moment." He couldn't hold back the wince as he said it, the pain of loosing his home still fresh.

"What do you mean by that? What happened to it?" Emma asked.

"I dismantled her with the aid of the fairies, and used her enchanted wood to build another wardrobe with the help of Gepetto and Pinocchio. It was the only way to your land. One way here and one way back."

"You did that for me?" She breathed and he prided himself on the way her eyes fluttered in surprise.

"Aye, and I'd do it a thousand times over if it meant getting you and Henry home." He hopped she gathered the hidden meaning of his words, and by the startled look in her eyes it seemed she did. _I would do anything for you._

"So uh, how do we get back then? Ruby slippers? Magic mirror? Portal bean?" She asked with an awkward abruptness. He understood her distance and chose not to push it for now.

"An excellent question, love. The answer is simple." With a flourish he stood and kicked out a foot, displaying his boot.

"Your boot?" Emma arched a brow, eyeing him like he had lost his mind. He chuckled in response.

"Enchanted boot." He corrected with a wink to which she only rolled her eyes. "On my search for a way to this land I discovered legend of magic slippers that could take the wearer to wherever their heart desired. So I hunted for them, unfortunately they were no where to be found, but an old gypsy told me how to recreate the spell, and so we enchanted my boot, didn't have enough for both let alone a permanent enchantment. The details are a bit of a bore, but a portal will simply take us where we wish, not nearly as messy as a bean." He concluded. He caught Emma's eye and knew she wanted to know more details but thankfully she seemed willing to wait. Henry on the other hand was absolutely entranced by his tale.

"That is so cool!" Henry exclaimed, bouncing from his seat to kneel and inspect the pirate's boot. "How does it work?"

"Well, lad, its simple. All I have to do is click and tap my boot enough to activate the spell while imagining where I am to go and I should be there."

"Just like Dorothy's slippers!" The boy said in excited fascination. He had no bloody clue who Dorothy was, but given the lad's reaction he assumed her to be of some importance. Emma even looked impressed she was smiling slightly, amusement dancing in her eyes. He chuckled lightly even though the humor was lost on him.

"Yes I suppose so, lad." He replied with a grin.

"So when do we leave?" Henry asked, practically bouncing with anticipation.

"As soon as you're ready, though now would be preferable."

"Okay, give as a minute to grab a few things and then we'll be ready." Emma still looked out of sorts, the revelation of her fake memories no doubt still weighing heavily on her mind.

"As you wish." He murmured as she passed him. Her steps faltered for a moment before she continued to the adjoining room.

Henry returned first, shifting in his seat and asking so many questions it made his head spin. He answered what he could, and left more than a few details. Needless to say he was grateful when Emma returned, ready to set off.

"Alright, lets go." Emma said, voice clipped, her unease rolling off of her in waves.

"Very well. Take my hand," He told Emma. "and Henry, take your mother's." They followed his instructions without comment, and he squeezed Emma's hand gently to assure himself of the contact, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb to comfort her. When she squeezed his hand back he smiled. "Hold on tight." He said, taking a deep breath to quell the excitement of returning with them both before he began to open the portal. He clicked his heels thrice, tapped the heal of his left boot against the toe of his right boot twice, and stomped hard before them once and a portal swirled open around them and pulled them down.

It was a much gentler portal then the one created by magic bean which Killian appreciated greatly. That's how he knew something was wrong when the vortex began to undulate and crackle until it became violent, sharply pulling and howling as it swirled around them. He heard a faint cackle over the howling of the portal, which now felt like there was wind whipping at them, it felt like a hurricane. The revelation struck him hard, that damn witch had somehow intercepted their jump with one of her bloody tornadoes. He had no idea how she could even know when they were coming or that he'd left the Enchanted Forest in the first place. But how she knew did not matter nearly as much as the fact that she did, and they were now caught in her trap.

"Henry!" Emma's voice was shrill beside him and his eyes immediately sought the boy. His small hand was slipping out of his mother's, eyes wide with fear as he struggled to get a better grip. Without thought he lunged forward just as the vortex tugged Henry away, his hook snagging onto the hood of the boy's jacket . With all his strength he pulled the lad in, anchoring him to his side with his left arm, Henry's small hands immediately gripping his coat like a vice, face buried in the leather. His right arm jerked suddenly, Emma's hold on his hand growing tighter. His attention immediately returning to her only to feel the portal tug him sharply away, their grip on each other becoming dangerously strained.

"Hook!" She shouted desperately, the same fear of separation in her eyes.

"Hold on to me, love! Just hold on!" He yelled desperately as her hand began to slip from his. He couldn't lose her, not now, not when they were so close to home.

"Killian!" She cried as her grip slipped even further, both hands scrambling for purchase on his hand and the leather of his sleeve. He called her name, holding on desperately, but it wasn't enough.

"No!" The scream tore from his throat as Emma was pulled away from him. He crushed Henry to his chest, refusing to lose him as they came close to the end of the portal, trying to ensure that he would take the brunt of the landing. The ground rushed to meet them sooner then he thought, and the slammed into it hard, black consuming his vision and he found himself unable to fight it.

When awareness came back to him it was slow and painful, his head throbbing. He almost jolted up in a panic before he registered the weight on his chest, the boy still cradled against him.

"Henry?" He asked gently. When the lad didn't respond fear gripped his heart. "Henry?" He asked with a gentle shake. "Come on, lad, wake up. Henry!" The boy started and groaned, looking up at him with half lidded eyes before they widened suddenly as he all but leaped off the pirate. Killian grunted when the child's knee dug into his stomach, but couldn't hold back the sigh of relief that he seemed relatively unscathed.

"Come on! We have to find mom!" Henry said frantically, tugging at Killian's sleeve as the man pushed himself first onto his knees and then shakily onto his feet.

"I know, lad, and we will. But first I need to find out where we are." He looked around, thanking every god he could name when he recognized their surroundings and relief coursed through him. A small clearing in the woods not far from the clearing all the residents of Storybrooke had ended up after the curse had hit, where they visited and patrolled constantly should their savior ever arrive they way they had. He knew these woods well, having walked them aimlessly in his grief many a time. They were in the Enchanted Forest, they were home, safe for now. Which meant while he and Henry may have landed off course, Emma may well be in the clearing where they were meant to be. He grabbed Henry's small hand and smiled at him.

"Come now, lad. We're close, there's a clearing just beyond the trees. Your mother should be waiting for us." He took a step forward, Henry's fingers tightening against his and tugging lightly.

"Race you?" Henry suggested in a questioning tone, but the hope in his eyes was all Killian needed to give his answer. How could he say no to the boy? A harmless distraction would be good for them both.

"Sure you could keep up with a pirate?" He smirked, ruffling the boy's hair. He huffed and pushed him away with a laugh.

"Bet any landlubber could beat you in a race, Captain." Henry teased before dodging around him and taking off in the direction Killian had indicated.

"Oi!" He shouted after the boy. "That's cheating!" He shouted at the boy in mock offense as he ran after him, Henry's laugh ringing out amongst the trees. It was that sound that let Killian think that everything would be fine. Emma was fine, she had to be, they were merely separated in the portal. She probably turned up a little ways away from them and was looking for them right now, no doubt worried sick about her boy. He ignored the ache in his chest, blaming it on worry and nothing more.

Henry burst through the trees before him, and he had to skid to a stop when he almost ran into him. He looked up, a crowd of people mingling around the center of the clearing. Most of their heads were bowed, something was wrong.

"What's going on?" Henry asked, quiet and nervous.

"I don't know." He mumbled, eyeing the people before them and laying a hand on Henry's small shoulder. He saw Regina, Robin, and Neal looking morose in their own detached circle. He caught sight of the dwarves all looking solemn, and then further back he thought he saw Snow and David. His heart sank further as dread filled him.

"Mom! Dad!" Henry shouted before rushing into the crowd and throwing himself into Regina's arms. The queen instantly burst into tears, clutching the boy tightly to her and rocking him back and forth. Killian rushed to catch up with him, coming to a stop before Robin who only looked at him solemnly. The sound of the reunions going on beside him dulled to a buzz at Robin's serious stare.

"Where?" He said lowly. His friend looked down before nodding towards the center of the crowd. He shrugged off the comforting hand on his arm and practically ran for where Emma was supposed to be, coming to a staggering halt when he finally saw her and all the life and hope drained from him in an instant.

She was laid out peacefully on what almost looked like a bed, he couldn't really tell through his blurred vision.

"You're too late…" Someone said from beside him, perhaps it was one of the dwarves, but he couldn't care to know. All he saw was her, still and pale.

"No." He breathed desperately with a shake of his head. Someone tried to say something to him but he ignored them, focused solely on Emma.

Another person he loved fading away before he had a chance to say goodbye.

He felt the all to familiar crippling despair grip his very soul, Hook rearing his ugly head as his heart shattered once again. He didn't want to be Hook again, he wanted to be Killian. He liked being Killian, he liked being happy, but all that was crumbling before him now as he gazed upon the still form of the woman he loved.

He stumbled forward in a daze, falling to his knees the moment he reached her side. No. He wasn't sure if he said it or not, but it was the only word his mind could conjure as he felt tears well in his eyes. They had been so close, so close to having her back. He hadn't even gotten to say goodbye, hadn't gotten to say how much he loved her. A tea slipped down his cheek, quickly followed by more until he was all but sobbing. He looked down at her through the haze of tears, lifting a shaky hand to brush her away from her cold face, the touch doing him in. He let out and anguished cry, falling forward until his forehead was pressed against her shoulder as violent sobs and cries and curses left him with every shuddering breath.

"True love's kiss." That was Henry's voice, somehow still full of hope.

"It won't work! I tried-she-I…" He looked up at the boy and shook his head, looking away once more.

"Just try, please." The boy begged. His father stood behind him, looking at him in a new way, nodding his consent. That was all it took to make up Killian's mind. He turned back to Emma, brushing her cheek softly with the back of his hand before leaning in close.

"I love you, Emma Swan..." He closed his eyes, afraid of what he'd see if he kept them open, and kissed her with gentle desperation, hoping beyond hope that by some miracle she would awaken, because he knew he could not live without her. A shock ran through him suddenly, warmth filling him as golden light danced behind his closed eyes. He leaned back, staring at her with what little hope he had left, feeling it fade with each moment that passed. Then she gasped and her eyes flew open, and his heart nearly burst with joy.

"Killian?" A sob of relief passed his lips as he nodded, reaching out his hand and stroking her now warm cheek. The sound of his real name coming from her lips giving him more joy than he could have ever anticipated.

"Aye, love, I'm here."

"You saved me." She whispered back, her hands coming up to frame his face, thumbs wiping away his tears.

"Did you ever doubt I would." She laughed softly in response.

"Not for a second." She said softly before pulling him forward and resting her forehead against his.

"I love you, Emma." He breathed before kissing her with all the love in his heart. She kissed him back with equal fervor, clinging to him as he clung to her, oblivious to the crowd around them. He reluctantly pulled back first, nuzzling her nose with his.

"I love you." He gave her a quick kiss before pulling back so he could see her face, a wide grin on his face.

"Its about bloody time." She laughed at that, the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard and he laughed with her. For the longest moment that was all the did, holding each other and laughing, too many emotions to count passing between them, until suddenly Henry was in his mother's arms and then Snow and Charming were wrapped around their daughter and her pirate, and for the first time in a very long time, Killian Jones felt loved, felt like part of a family, and that was more than he could have ever hopped for.

They did have to end the embrace, as much as Killian wished they didn't. He knew that had urgent matters at hand, the Wicked Witch being the priority, and after what she had done to Emma, he would gladly bring a swift and painful end to her.

"As much as I hat to end this touching reunion, we have a witch to fry." Regina said, though she was lacking her normal sarcastic hostility, one hand coming to rest on one of Henry's shoulders, still reveling in her son's return. Charming nodded in agreement, reluctantly releasing his daughter.

"We should prepare an attack at once." The King declares, still standing near his recently reunited family. A chorus of cheers and agreements roars from the crowd of friends and loyal subjects around them. Emma stands, her hand clasped tightly in Killian's (he refuses to let her go for even a moment).

"We'll take this bitch down together." She says, her eyes never leaving his even though he knows she speaks to all.

"Aye, together." He replies, and as he stands with her, he is reminded of another moment of loyalty and sees fit to swear it again, the words carrying the same conviction as they had all those years ago. "I will follow you, love, to the ends of the earth." And he meant every word, with every renewed piece of his once dark and broken soul.


End file.
